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UK Police Issue Warning About "Doki Doki Literature Club!" After Teen's Apparent Suicide

posted by mrpg on Saturday June 30 2018, @02:22PM   Printer-friendly
from the Doki-Doki-Suicide-Club dept.

takyon writes:

What Is Doki Doki Literature Club? Parents Warned About Horror Video Game After Teen's Death

Parents and teachers have been warned about the potential mental health risks of a cult "visual novel" video game, with one coroner saying it may "trigger suicidal thoughts" in young people.

One father, Darren Walmsley, 49, believes Doki Doki Literature Club, a free-to-play PC title that is presented with a cartoony art style but has overtones of psychological horror, may have contributed to the death of his son Ben earlier this year. Ahead of an inquest into the passing of the child, officials spoke out about the game's subject matter, which includes violence and suicide.

[...] Detective Inspector Jude Holmes, from the Greater Manchester Police, said: "We believe this game is a risk to children and young people, especially those that are emotionally vulnerable and anyone with existing mental health concerns. It's also really important to discuss with your children which games and apps are suitable, and ensure they understand why others aren't appropriate to use."

Cool story, Sherlock.

Doki Doki Literature Club! Wow, there's a Linux version. Time for another Community Review?

Also at NextShark and Manchester Evening News.

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  • (Score: 2) by darkfeline on Sunday July 01 2018, @10:20PM

    by darkfeline (1030) on Sunday July 01 2018, @10:20PM (#701079) Homepage
    Unfortunately, your friend didn't finish the game and/or understand the plot completely. Slight spoilers follow:
    The characters in the game are only psychotic because of the manipulations of an antagonist and metaphysical shenanigans. The "moral" of the story, then, is "Forbidden metaphysical knowledge and/or extreme gaslighting will drive you to commit suicide", which seems obvious enough. Then, DDLC is really no worse than any standard Lovecraftian story or game.

    Still, you probably shouldn't play it if you're not psychologically healthy, and the game even cautions you about it. No offense to your friend, but she took the Schmuck Bait. Check your SAN points before playing.

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